McKinley Morganfield aka Muddy Waters was a Blues Musician who lived from 1915 to 1983. He was nicknamed for the puddles he played in while growing up in Mississippi. Muddy Waters learned to play the harmonica and the guitar while growing up as a sharecropper. He came to Chicago in 1943, shortly after being recorded by Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress. Muddy Waters performed in neighborhood bars on the Southside of Chicago. and soon decided he needed something louder to cut through the noise of the clubs. He bought his first electric guitar in 1944. He gained national success in 1952 with "Rollin Stone" his first release with Chess Records, the rhythm-and-blues label he worked with for the next 25 years.

With the sucess of Muddy Waters' music career, he bought this two-flat at 4339 South Lake Park Avenue in 1954 and adapted the basement as a rehearsal room. For 20 years it was a gathering place for the greatest figures of the Chicago Blues, and on warm summer evenings, they would often play on the front lawn.

Muddy Waters Chicago Home 4339 South Lake Park Avenue Chicago IL

Muddy Waters Chicago Home 4339 South Lake Park Avenue Chicago IL

Muddy Waters Chicago Home 4339 South Lake Park Avenue Chicago IL

This house is located in a neighborhood going through regentrification. Muddy Waters Boulevard is 43rd Street. There are plans to develop Muddy Waters Chicago Home into a museum. The X denotes that this house was a one time going to be torn down by the city. It is currently for sale by the family. Several plans to purchase and create a museum have fallen through for the Muddy Waters home.